And now, more about me via Instagram. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve probably seen these pictures already, but I like to post them here because they are the quick snap shots of my life! (If you don’t follow me on Instagram, you can, here.)

1. Silly Simon. 2. Simon riding his bike to the park. 3. Simon at Chuck E. Cheese. 4. Gabbie on her birthday at Basking Robbins after having her ears pierced and her hair straightened!

1. & 2. Zachary and Gabbie on the horse at the Passover Fair – the horse knows how to look at the camera! 3. Zachary reading to a dog at the library. 4. A goose outside of the supermarket.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

How cute are these prints? I love them both so much – and they are only two of the thousands of options that are available on BoomBoom Prints, a company that allows graphic designers to upload their artwork to their site and then customers can order that artwork on wall prints, onesies, cards, phone cases, tote bags, and more. There is literally something for everyone on this site. I could have chosen ballet art for Gabbie, train art for Zachary, firetruck art for Simon, coffee art for my kitchen, or one of too many other examples to list here. I spent the better part of a day deciding that I wanted a tote bag and then choosing the art I wanted to have printed on my tote bag!

Here is some exciting news for you - BoomBoom Prints is giving away a $1,000 shopping spree! At least one mom this year will receive a gift of a lifetime for Mother’s Day – a $1,000 shopping spree from BoomBoom Prints! The giveaway prize includes $500 to BoomBoom Prints and $500 in Visa Gift Cards, so you can redecorate your child’s room and still spend a little something on yourself! Plus, it’s totally free and can you enter multiple times by following BoomBoom Prints on social media. The last day to enter is May 9th. Just use the form below!

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Today my mood is sour, so I’m going to quote my favorite comments about this episode found around the internet. The first one is the longest because it’s from a full review of the episode, and I kind of agreed with all of it!

All Around Ridiculousness:

“For close watchers, Scandal looks held together with tape and glue. Rhimes and her team have lost their handle on B-613…Jake’s near-murder is ridiculous on a number of levels, but the characters have to keep busy during the calm before the storm, and the effort to save Jake’s life isn’t any goofier than anything else the show could build out of the materials it has on site. Still, it must be acknowledged how little internal logic or cognizable stakes are beneath the B-613 storyline…It’s nearly impossible to articulate what B-613 is, what it does, or why shutting it down is so important. Jake, Quinn, and Huck have all at some point talked about how the end of B-613 would blow back on Olivia, but when Rowan confronts Olivia in “I’m Just A Bill,” his rationale is that she can’t strike at B-613 without harming Fitz in the process. Who besides Rowan is materially affected if B-613 ceases to exist? It’s anyone’s guess. Further muddying the waters, the characters keep talking about killing Rowan and shutting down B-613 interchangeably, which is confusing as hell given that it’s neither evident how killing Rowan would stop B-613, nor how somehow neutralizing the organization would make Rowan less of a threat…Despite the intense whiff of bullshit permeating the entire episode, putting a barely stable Jake feet away from Russell and unable to talk was a blast. The cliffhanger, with Olivia holding Russell at gunpoint after putting it all together, was also a joy…Rowan’s relationship with Olivia never stops getting creepier. I’ve tried to steer around the incestuous tone, but by the time you put a second guy up to having sex with your daughter and discuss it with him, you’re on thin ice…When Olivia told Jake they should have stayed on the island, I yelled “Jake, we have to go back!” If Rhimes is going to borrow from an ABC production with an unwieldy mythology, why not Lost? The result couldn’t possibly be any further removed from reality…The doctor calls David Rosen “Scared man with glasses,” which is pretty long for a nickname, but it could stick.” – Joshua Alston at A.V. Club

On Jake Not Dying:

“So, like, this dude in a dirty warehouse on #Scandal is a better doctor than a team of trained people in a hospital on #GreysAnatomy? OK.” – Jarett Wieselman on Twitter

On the Grant Marriage:

“It truly makes no sense to me that you would have an episode so heavy handed in feminist ideals (I think they may have said the word misogynist like 10 times) while at the same time purporting that Mellie could not get elected without a man by her side. It’s ridiculous to me. I don’t take those contradictions as Scandal being smart and interesting. I take it as being too cowardly to make a bold move. Because making a bold move would mean reframing the show and likely giving a few characters less screen time. With an over-bloated cast and a overwrought, super spy story line, heaven forbid this happen. A divorce doesn’t have to signal the beginning of Fitz and Olivia, but it would indicate that the show is willing to explore new territory and interesting character development. No one benefits from Scandal’s love hexagon. It is not working. Because it’s over stayed it’s welcome, it’s gone far past star-crossed lovers. It makes Olivia look selfish and weak. It makes Fitz look stupid for pinning away for a woman who currently seems neither here nor there about their relationship. It makes Mellie look stupid for being insistent in staying in a marriage knowing all that she knows about Fitz and Olivia AND given everything she’s been through with his father. Scandal wants to sell Mellie as this strong, smart woman, but it weakens her character for her to actively desire this marriage. They also want to sell the Grant marriage as some complicated partnership. But it is diluted every single time they show Fitz more invested in Olivia than Mellie. It is made even more futile when the show portrays isolated moments of affection between Fitz and Mellie. If they want the audience to care and read the Grant marriage as a complicated partnership, they have to decide if Mellie is hurt by Fitz’s love for Olivia, but stays because she wants her marriage to work due to her sacrifices/commitment or if she truly doesn’t give a fuck about Fitz and Olivia and is there for her career. They go back and forth with these ideas as it suits the plot. I’m not here for this convenient, lazy way to frame their marriage. Either way I find Mellie’s reasons for staying to be horribly problematic with sexist implications, but at least motivations would be clear.” – bytesthedust

On Mellie For Senate:

“On the heels of Mellie’s Senate run announcement, Sally becomes the first person in D.C. to realize that there might be a little conflict of interest with a state senator being married to a sitting president. Really, ‘Scandal?’ If this were real life, every political blog in D.C. would have dissected that little nugget before sunrise. But this is not real life, so it’s up to Sally to pose this important question about Mellie running for senator of Virginia while her husband is still POTUS. “Is it illegal or is it vomit-inducing?” Good question, Sally!” – The Washington Post

On Olivia and Fitz:

“Olivia is an unlikeable character. She’s a hypocrite and her treatment of Fitz, amongst other characters, is atrocious. And before anyone claims these are the ramblings of a Fitz stan, I don’t like this version of Fitz either. He is pathetic for calling Olivia for advice on his wife’s campaign, pathetic for supporting said wife in her delusional political career, and pathetic for not getting his life. He wasn’t worth all the trouble of Defiance because he has no backbone. He just does what the people around him want him to do. Maybe that was cute in the beginning but it’s starting to wear thin. He doesn’t deserve ‘the Olivia Pope’ (if such a person exists) nor does she deserve his unconditional love. There are no likeable characters on this show, no one to root for, no Olitz coming up, no sun in the horizon. A very cynical view of the world courtesy of our local geniuses at Shondaland.” – barnessvondengler

On B613:

“B613 Is not finished with. Not got a lot to say other than I’m not surprised, Shonda loves it more than Foley? But seriously, this organization has taken over the show that was about a political fixer in the heart of DC and her relationship with the President/White House.” – daniellescandal

“In the final analysis, what happened to Scandal? Remember that show about a DC fixer in love with the President? Are they ever gonna bring that back? Nope. Now, it’s the B613 Show. And who wants to see that?” – redorkulous

“So I'm guessing that #Foxtail is going to be the new plot that goes nowhere and makes no sense? #Scandal” – KendyH on Twitter

I usually share pictures from the episode – only one scene worth sharing and that was the last scene:

[source]In this scene Olivia reveals that she figured out that Russell was sent by her father. Suspension of disbelief is still required, even though her pulling a gun was finally something to cheer for, because he should have been able to gain the upper hand on her easily, but instead he was scared.

Finally, one more comment from me. Once again, photos were released to promote this episode for a scene that was not shown in the episode. Photos that were released with last week’s promotional photos were for a scene that was in this week’s episode. It is glaringly obvious how the production of this show has fallen into disarray. I no longer have hope of any improvement before the end of the season.

Hi there!

As a mom to 3, I try to teach my kids that every day can be an adventure! I always tell them that things can be fun if they make them fun. This is where I document it all. I love travel, photography, reading, writing, & spending time with my family!